Developer- and Publisher-specific Articles: Rockstar

Max Payne has officially returned with the release of Max Payne 3 for the 360 and PS3. Now a down-and-out bodyguard for the rich in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Payne must bring out his inner noire Denzel in a Man on Fire-style paynefest (ha!) on some mysterious kidnappers.

Rockstar has just updated the OnLive version of L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition. OnLive users will automatically download the update, which will allow them to utilize touch controls on tablet/touch devices.

To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Rockstar has posted a retrospective on their seminal open-world action title Grand Theft Auto III. The latest set of answers rounds out the two-part series with topics covering the impact of September 11 on production and the origins of the Dodo airplane.

A special edition of Max Payne 3 has gone up for pre-order for 360, PC, and PS3. The $99.99 set will only be available for a limited time and include a number of digital and physical items. In addition to a copy of the game, players will get a 10″ tall statue of Payne, created in collaboration with TriForce; a bullet-shaped keychain; the official soundtrack; a collection of original still life game-inspired art prints; a Classic Multiplayer Character Pack with eight characters, including Payne from Max Payne 2, Mona Sax, and Vladimir Lem; and the Disorderly Conduct Multiplayer Weapons Pack, a three-item pack featuring the Hammerhead Auto Shotgun, G9 Grenade Launcher, and Molotov cocktail.

Grand Theft Auto III is about to turn 10. Eesh – anyone else feeling old now? On October 22, the one that kicked the series into high gear will be hitting the double digits, and to celebrate, Rockstar has announced that they will be launching GTA3 for several iOS and Android mobile devices as well as sell a limited-edition action figure of Claude. The $149.99 figure can be pre-ordered through the Rockstar Warehouse, and the figure, which sports his classic getup of cargo paints and bomber jacket, is set to ship out on October 20. Claude will come packing a bat, knife, grenades, pistol, sniper rifle, and assault rifle.

Rockstar has announced the system requirements and release date for the PC version of their gumshoe sim, L.A. Noire. The PC version of Team Bondi’s latest, developed by Rockstar Leeds, is dubbed L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition and will launch on November 8. The Complete Edition will include the original game as well as a multi-use code to access all the DLC add-ons and cases, which includes the Nicholson Electroplating arson case, Reefer Madness vice case, The Consul’s Car traffic case, The Naked City vice case, and A Slip of the Tongue traffic case. The PC version will feature increased resolution, keyboard remapping, gamepad support, as well as support for Nvidia’s 3D Vision.

A new case has hit L.A. Noire today with the release of the DLC mystery Nicholson Electroplating. Phelps and Biggs are sent to investigate an early morning explosion, which will take them to new locations where they will get to interrogate new suspects. Rockstar Pass holders receive the case at no charge (included in the initial price), while non-passers can snag it for $3.99 on the PS Network and for 320 MS Points on Live.

“… one of the industry’s greatest love letters to interactive storytelling, and the tale it has to tell is one well worth experiencing, laced as it is with fine performances, beautiful visuals, compelling investigative work, and an intricate plot about war, loyalty, deception, and the excesses of power.”

Rockstar and Team Bondi’s 360 and PS3 gumshoe sim, L.A. Noire, is about to receive a wave of DLC. Both systems will be receiving a host of downloadable standalone cases, collectibles, and challenges in the coming months. Diehards looking for a discount can sign up for the recently launched L.A. Noire Rockstar Pass, which will allow gamers access to all of the seven paid DLC packs—four cases, two suits, and a collectible challenge—that will be released from today until July 12. The Pass is available for a discounted price of $10.00/800 MS Points until June 14, a savings of $2.00/160 MS Points. As an added bonus, members of Rockstar’s Social Club also receive a free download of the Chicago Lightning Detective Suit and access to the Chicago Piano machine gun.